This application is related to concurrently filed and commonly assigned U.S. application Ser. No. 09/443,759 entitled xe2x80x9cAUTONOMOUSLY ADMINISTERING ENHANCED TELEPHONY SERVICESxe2x80x9d and concurrently filed and commonly assigned U.S. application Ser. No. 09/443,990 entitled xe2x80x9cADMINISTERING CALL BACK SERVICES,xe2x80x9d the disclosure of which applications are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
The invention relates in general to telecommunication systems, and in specific to administering Call Back services.
Because of the tariffs imposed by governments in many countries on telephone calls made outside the country, it is sometimes more expensive for a person located in a first country to call a person in a second country than it is for the person located in the second country to call the person in the first country. For example, if person X is in Brazil and wants to call person Y in the United States, the call may cost person X $1.50 per minute due to tariffs imposed by the Brazilian government. However, if person Y in the United States called person X in Brazil the call may only cost person Y $0.75 per minute. The difference in price for the two calls is generally due to caller X""s home country (Brazil in this example) imposing higher tariffs on calls originating in that country.
Because of such difference in prices, a need arose for a system and method which would allow a person in a country with higher tariff rates to place a call to a person in a country with lower rates at the lower rate. That is, there exists a desire to have a method and system whereby person X could call person Y at the lower rate that person Y would be charged to place a call to person X (e.g., $0.75 in the above example).
An enhanced telephony service referred to as xe2x80x9cCall Backxe2x80x9d is currently being provided by enhanced telephony service providers, which allows callers from a country with high tariff rates to call persons in countries with lower rates at the lower rates. Utilizing the currently administered Call Back service for the above example, caller X would place a call to a service provider in the United States. The service provider would have a call back server in the United States that would answer caller X""s call. Such a call back server would typically play a recording that would prompt caller X to enter the telephone number from which caller X is calling. Some call back servers would also prompt caller X to enter the United States telephone number that caller X wants to call. Caller X would use the touch-tone keys on the telephone keypad to enter his telephone number and person Y""s telephone number if requested. Caller X would then hang up.
The above-described process of calling a service provider in the United States and entering the required telephone numbers typically takes under a minute. Therefore, caller X would typically be charged $1.50 for the first minute that it took to place the call from Brazil to the service provider in the United States.
Once the call back server receives the required telephone number(s), the server calls caller X back in Brazil. If the server has not already received the United States telephone number to be called from caller X, the server will request that number from caller X at this time. The server then places caller X on hold while the server attempts to connect the call to person Y in the United States. At this time, caller X is being charged the lower $0.75 per minute rate that it costs to call from the United States to Brazil. After a connection is made to person Y, caller X and person Y can talk with caller X being charged the lower United States rate of $0.75 per minute for the call. In this manner, the prior art Call Back service allows a caller from a country with a higher rate to place a call to a country with a lower rate at the lower rate.
Several problems exist with the prior art method and system for administering Call Back service. In the prior art method and system for administering Call Back service, a customer requesting Call Back service is called back before an attempt is made to connect to the called party. As the above-example for prior art Call Back service demonstrates, the prior art call back server calls caller X back before the call back server attempts to establish a connection with the called party Y. The customer requesting Call Back service (e.g., caller X) begins being charged at the lower calling rate once the call back server returns the customer""s call. Thus, the customer is charged for the time required for attempting to establish a connection with the called party (e.g., called party Y). The customer is charged for such time required for attempting to make a connection with the called party even if a connection is ultimately not established with the called party.
Utilizing the above example, caller X requests Call Back service from a call back server. The call back server then places a call back to caller X, and once a connection is established with caller X, caller X begins being charged the lower $0.75 per minute rate. Thereafter, the call back server attempts to establish a connection with the called party Y. During the time that the call back server is attempting to establish such a connection with called party Y, caller X is charged at the lower $0.75 per minute rate. Thus, caller X begins being charged at the lower $0.75 per minute rate before a connection is actually established with called party Y in the United States. If there is ultimately not an answer at called party Y""s telephone number, caller X is still charged $0.75 per minute for the time required for the call back server to attempt to establish a connection with person Y. Even though the charges accumulated during the time in which the call back server is attempting to establish a connection with the called party are typically low, such charges are costs that a customer would like to avoid.
In view of the above, there exists a desire for a method and system for pre-qualifying Call Back service wherein a customer requesting Call Back service is not charged for the time that the call back server is attempting to establish a connection with the called party. There is a desire for a method and system for pre-qualifying Call Back service wherein a customer does not begin being charged the less expensive rate before the call is connected to the called party. There is a further desire to provide a method and system for administering Call Back service wherein the caller does not get charged for calls that are not completed to the called party.
These and other objects, features and technical advantages are achieved by a system and method for administering Call Back service which are capable of pre-qualifying such Call Back service. Such a system and method are capable of pre-qualifying a request for a Call Back service before returning a call back to the requesting customer. In this manner, the customer may not begin being charged at the lower call rate until after a connection is first established with the called number.
In a preferred embodiment, the system and method for pre-qualifying Call Back services is implemented within a system and method for administering Call Back services as disclosed in co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. entitled xe2x80x9cADMINISTERING CALL BACK SERVICES.xe2x80x9d Such implementation may provide decreased cost and increased convenience to a customer requesting Call Back services. However, in alternative embodiments the system and method for pre-qualifying Call Back services disclosed herein may be implemented in other systems and methods for administering Call Back services, including those of the prior art. Any such implementation and embodiment is intended to be within the scope of the present invention.
In a preferred embodiment, an Enhanced Services Platform (hereinafter xe2x80x9cESPxe2x80x9d) provides enhanced telephony services offered by a service provider, including Call Back service. However, in alternative embodiments a call back server other than an ESP may be utilized to provide Call Back service, and any such embodiment is intended to be within the scope of the present invention.
In a preferred embodiment, the ESP (or xe2x80x9ccall back serverxe2x80x9d) may attempt to connect the customer requesting Call Back service with the called party by first attempting to establish a connection with the called party. Once a connection is established with the called party, the ESP may call the customer and connect the called party to the customer. In this manner, the customer may only be charged for a call back from the ESP if a connection is first established with the called number.
The ESP may return a call back to the requesting customer in response to various types of connections established with a called number. For example, the ESP may call a requesting customer back if any type of connection is first established on the called number. For such an alternative, the ESP may return a call back to the requesting customer if any type of connection is established with the called number, including if a person other than a desired party answers the called party""s telephone or if an answering device (e.g., an answering machine or voice mail) answers the called party""s line. Alternatively, the ESP may call a requesting customer back only if a connection is first established with a person (i.e., a human being), rather than some type of answering device. For such an alternative, the ESP may return a call back to the requesting customer if any person answers the called party""s telephone, but not if an answering device answers the called party""s line. Alternatively, the ESP may call a requesting customer back only if a connection is established with a specific person.
In a preferred embodiment, the requesting customer may specify which situation or situations the ESP is to return a call back to the customer. For example, a requesting customer may specify that the ESP is to return a call back to the customer if any connection is established with the called number, only if a human being answers the called party""s line, or only if a specific human being is available at the called party""s line.
Additionally, the ESP may notify the requesting customer of the result of pre-qualifying the requested Call Back service. That is, the ESP may notify the requesting customer of the result of attempting to establish a connection with the called number in a variety of ways. For example, the ESP may not return a call back to the requesting customer at all if a desired connection is not established at the called party""s number. Thus, not receiving a call back from the ESP may serve as a notification to the requesting customer that the desired connection was not established. However, not receiving a call back from the ESP may only serve to notify the requesting customer that the desired connection was not established, but may not notify the requesting customer of the actual result of the attempted connection. For example, suppose a requesting customer desires to have a call back only if a connection is established with a specific person. Not receiving a return call back may serve to notify the requesting customer that a connection with the desired person was not established. However, not receiving a return call back may not indicate to a requesting customer whether a connection was established at all, such as with an answering device or a different person.
Accordingly, in a preferred embodiment some type of return notification indicating the result of the attempted connection may be provided to the requesting customer. A customer may be able to request such return notification for only certain results. For example, the ESP may notify the requesting customer if no answer is received at the called party""s number. In this alternative, the ESP may notify the requesting customer only if an answer is not received at all on the called party""s number. As a further example, the ESP may notify the requesting customer only if an answering device answers the called party""s number. As yet a further example, the ESP may notify the requesting customer only if a connection is established with a person other than the desired person.
In a preferred embodiment, the ESP may be implemented to provide such return notification to a requesting customer through a variety of methods of communication. For example, return notification may be provided to the customer via telephone. As another example, return notification may be provided to the customer""s personal computer via data modem. As yet another example, return notification may be provided to the customer via a packet network, such as the Internet. Each of these methods of communicating a return notification to a customer is discussed in greater detail herein.
It should be appreciated that a technical advantage of one aspect of the present invention is realized in that a system and method for pre-qualifying Call Back service is provided. A further technical advantage of one aspect of the present invention is realized in that a system and method for administering Call Back service in which pre-qualification of such Call Back service is accomplished by first attempting to establish a connection with the called party""s number before returning a call back to the requesting customer is provided.
A further technical advantage of one aspect of the present invention is realized in that a customer requesting Call Back service may avoid/reduce charges for attempting to make a connection with a called number. A further technical advantage of one aspect of the present invention is realized in that a system and method for pre-qualifying Call Back service wherein a return call back to the requesting customer is placed only after a connection is established with the called number. Accordingly, the requesting customer may not be charged for the time required for attempting to establish a connection with the called number, and the customer may not be charged if a connection is ultimately not established (e.g., there is no answer at the number called or there is a busy signal at the number called).
Yet a further technical advantage of one aspect of the present invention is realized in that a system and method for administering Call Back service may be provided wherein a call back to the requesting customer is placed only if a desired connection is established. For example, a call back to the requesting customer may be placed if any type of connection is established at the called number, only if a connection is established with a person, rather than an answering device, or only if a connection is established with a specific person at the called number. Accordingly, the requesting customer may not be charged if a desired type of connection is not established with the called party.
Yet a further technical advantage of one aspect of the present invention is realized in that a system and method is provided for pre-qualifying Call Back service wherein a customer requesting a Call Back service may be notified of the result of pre-qualifying Call Back service. Still a further technical advantage of one aspect of the present invention is realized in that a system and method is provided for pre-qualifying Call Back service wherein a customer requesting a Call Back service may be notified of the result of pre-qualifying Call Back service in an economical manner. Accordingly, a customer requesting Call Back service may have such Call Back service pre-qualified such that an attempt to establish a desired connection is first attempted before returning a call back to the requesting customer. Additionally, if the desired connection is not established, the requesting customer may be notified of the result of attempting to establish a connection at a called number in an economical manner.
The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.